County commissioner develops hobby into local business

Nathan Boyles shows off his wine selection at Yellow River Winery on Wilkerson Bluff Road in Holt. The vineyard is not open to the public, but Boyles’ wine can be found at the Yellow River Wine Bar on Main Street in Crestview.

ANGEL McCURDY | Daily News

By ANGEL McCURDY / Daily News

Published: Thursday, October 17, 2013 at 05:11 PM.

CRESTVIEW — In 2010 Nathan Boyles took the hobby he dabbled in for years and decided to make something of it.

Today, the Okaloosa County commissioner and local attorney sells seven homemade wines out of a small shop in downtown Crestview and says more are on the way.

“We’re learning as we go,” the 30-year-old said as he sipped on a blueberry wine named Little Beau Blue after his son, Beau. “We’re using products that aren’t traditional. We’ve had some successes and some, um, semi-successes, I’ll say.”

It took eight months of permitting and research, thousands of dollars and the renovation of a farmhouse to start Yellow River Winery, which he runs with his wife, Crystal.

The wine selection includes strawberry wine using berries from Akers of Strawberries, a plum wine using fruit purchased after an 18-wheeler carrying the plums wrecked on Interstate 10, and a peach wine Boyles is still perfecting.

“Because we are small and we prefer to use local produce so we can give back to the local famers, what we offer is limited production,” he said. “When we’re out of our plum wine, we’re out. But that also means we’re making something new, and every batch is unique.”

Since becoming a father and a commissioner, Boyles’ wine adventures have taken a back seat to other responsibilities, but the future is bright for Yellow River Winery.

He’s experimenting with mead, blueberry port and a dry blueberry wine. He also hopes to create a sand pear wine, which he says will likely be the first of its kind.

The wines cost between $9.95 and $13.95. They can be purchased by the bottle at Yellow River Wine Bar on Main Street and by the glass at Sorobal restaurant in downtown Crestview.

“This is not designed to be a big profit-maker,” Boyles said. “We’re supporting local small businesses and enjoy this. My small hobby has become something, and I’m excited to see where it goes.”

CRESTVIEW — In 2010 Nathan Boyles took the hobby he dabbled in for years and decided to make something of it.

Today, the Okaloosa County commissioner and local attorney sells seven homemade wines out of a small shop in downtown Crestview and says more are on the way.

“We’re learning as we go,” the 30-year-old said as he sipped on a blueberry wine named Little Beau Blue after his son, Beau. “We’re using products that aren’t traditional. We’ve had some successes and some, um, semi-successes, I’ll say.”

It took eight months of permitting and research, thousands of dollars and the renovation of a farmhouse to start Yellow River Winery, which he runs with his wife, Crystal.

The wine selection includes strawberry wine using berries from Akers of Strawberries, a plum wine using fruit purchased after an 18-wheeler carrying the plums wrecked on Interstate 10, and a peach wine Boyles is still perfecting.

“Because we are small and we prefer to use local produce so we can give back to the local famers, what we offer is limited production,” he said. “When we’re out of our plum wine, we’re out. But that also means we’re making something new, and every batch is unique.”

Since becoming a father and a commissioner, Boyles’ wine adventures have taken a back seat to other responsibilities, but the future is bright for Yellow River Winery.

He’s experimenting with mead, blueberry port and a dry blueberry wine. He also hopes to create a sand pear wine, which he says will likely be the first of its kind.

The wines cost between $9.95 and $13.95. They can be purchased by the bottle at Yellow River Wine Bar on Main Street and by the glass at Sorobal restaurant in downtown Crestview.

“This is not designed to be a big profit-maker,” Boyles said. “We’re supporting local small businesses and enjoy this. My small hobby has become something, and I’m excited to see where it goes.”